Former MGC Sports Wagering Director Bruce Band receives WGPC Lifetime Achievement Award
- January 30, 2025
- by Connor Donahue
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Bruce Band, who significantly impacted the gaming industry in New Jersey and Massachusetts during his distinguished 47-year career, will receive the World Game Protection Conference Lifetime Achievement Award this March in Las Vegas, becoming the 14th inductee into the conference’s Hall of Fame.
Band spent 30 years with the New Jersey Casino Control Commission and joined the Massachusetts Gaming Commission (MGC) in 2014 for a 10-year tenure. He began as the Gaming Agents Division Chief before becoming the Commission’s inaugural Sports Wagering Division Director. His leadership helped establish Massachusetts as a model for gaming regulation and consumer protection.
“It is a great surprise to be honored by the World Game Protection group,” Band said, joining celebrated inductees like Sal Piacente and John Connolly in the Hall of Fame.
Jo M. Allison, COO of World Game Protection Inc., praised Band as a “regulatory legend” when announcing the award on LinkedIn, citing his “outstanding contribution and generous dedication to the casino industry.”
MGC Chair Jordan Maynard echoed the sentiments of many at the Commission about the news of Band’s award.
“Bruce Band is a cornerstone of the gaming industry in Massachusetts,” Maynard said. “We’re incredibly proud that he is an MGC alum.”
Band has long supported the annual three-day conference, which brings together casino surveillance professionals, gaming managers, and regulators from around the globe.
“[The event] shares information on casino surveillance, cheating, games protection, sports wagering, and other forms of casino-related crime around the globe, which we will all eventually see,” Band said.
The 2025 World Game Protection Conference will be held from March 11th to the 13th at the Rio Hotel & Casino in Las Vegas, Nevada. It will feature a celebration of Band’s continued dedication to the gaming industry.